Keeping quail with chickens?

I am hatching some quail and was wondering if i could just keep them in the coop with the chickens? What do you think? All i need to do is put in a little feeder and waterer. Maybe give them something to hide in. What do you think? These are white coturnix quail im talking.

Re: Keeping quail with chickens?

They are fine with bantams but standard chickens might be ify. IF your chickens are docile and the quail are at least 9 weeks... you might be ok. Seriously... Mine freerange with a bunny but it doesn't eat meat! lol Maybe putting a cage on the floor in the coop for them to get use to one another first... and you can get a feel for how the chickens are going to react. Remember that full grown they are about half the size of a bantam.

"Quite Literally true that we are StarDust. In the highest exulted way one could use that phrase." Neil deGrasse Tyson

Re: Keeping quail with chickens?

I would not keep them together. The chickens will kill the quail, bantam or not. Quail are SUPER tiny also, so it's very possible they would get lost! I know they can fit right through chicken wire. Also, quail typically do not perch, so the chickens may squish them when they jump off their perches!

However, it wouldn't be too expensive to build anything. A nice large hutch would work fine! That way you can still let your chickens free range AND you can breed the quail without a problem!

I would love to get some quail, but I'm not sure where I would put them. They sure are cute as babies though! Good luck!

Re: Keeping quail with chickens?

Brooster--great question, I'm wondering about it too.My chickens don't bother the sparrows and wrens, do you think they would leave the quail alone? I've seen both chickens and sparrows/wrens scratching in the yard almost side-by-side.

Re: Keeping quail with chickens?

Just so you don't think I am nut I am looking at getting a Japanese bantam hen in a few months to incubate for me...

The best is the Bantam (Japanese chicken or short legged chicken). The method is simply to replace the Bantamís eggs with the fertilized quail eggs. To start, first set the nest for the Bantam to lay its eggs. When the eggs are laid, after 3 days, replace the Bantamís with the quail eggs.

There is no problem with these jumbo quail and bantams as long as the bantams are docile.

"Quite Literally true that we are StarDust. In the highest exulted way one could use that phrase." Neil deGrasse Tyson